Asindown is the model in valencia in the support of people with Down Syndrome and Intellectual Disability. For many years, Asindown has been working so that people with Down Syndrome and Intellectual Disability could fully develop their lives and to help them to have the utmost independency they can achieve. At the employment area of Asindown, they have helped many people to find a job. They are a referral for the companies with an active SCR in the city of Valencia (Spain). In addition, they are also the ambassadors of the OMO Project in their area.

The process of helping ID people to get a place in the labour market needs to be fully adapted to each individual’s characteristics, how is, generally speaking, the process to follow?

There are several ways in which ID people and their relatives contact us to get information about the Employment Program, and there are also different motivations. We usually make an appointment with them, both the person who would start the program and a relative in order to get all the information about their needs, their abilities, their knowledges and their interests. Depending on how they are, we propose them a specific program to follow because in this way we train them and we help them to be ready for work. At the same time, we get to know their abilities and interests so we can propose them for a position that suits them and where they can perform the utmost.

Which is the main challenge once they have been trained and get an internship or job opportunity?

It may be a challenge learning the new tasks required for the job position, sometimes it is also necessary to learn how to arrive to the job place or to change schedules and routines…

What are the main challenges for the people of the employment area in asindown when you are helping the trainee with ID to start their new job in a company?

One of the main challenges is the commuting because we want them to be as independent as they can be, even when commuting. However, on many occasions this may be difficult because public transport sometimes is not very well connected or it may be difficult. Sometimes, specially on the the first days, one of the main challenges is that colleagues don’t know how to address to the person with ID. It is also very noticeable that, if they have attended to a school where there were children with any kind of disability they perfectly know how to treat them, there is a big difference if they have treated someone with disability before or not.

How has evoluted the social perception about intellectual disability in the labour market in the last few years?

Honestly, every worker with intellectual disability in a standard company is a showcase for everyone with any intellectual disability because they demonstrate that they are ready for work. Some years ago it was more difficult as we had to look for companies willing to have ID workers, lately it is more and more common to receive calls for companies that are thinking about it and want to hire people from Asindown.

Which would you say is the most rewarding aspect of your job?

The satisfaction and happiness that people with ID and their families have when they get a job. It is very rewarding seeing the maturity and the autonomy they are able to develop in short time. Also I would highlight as very rewarding the interest of many companies of hiring ID people.

The OMO Project app helps with the training and is useful for learning quickly to develop autonomously their tasks, so, in the end, it makes everything faster and cheaper. In addition, for the trainees and workers is a novelty and motivates them a lot.

Asindown has joined OMO Project, how the app helps people with ID to train and to learn their tasks?

It helps with the training and is useful for learning quickly to develop autonomously their tasks, so, in the end, it makes everything faster and cheaper. In addition, for the trainees and workers is a novelty and motivates them a lot.

The VALUEABLE badge is a recognition of the social job some companies do. This is very obvious when an ID people is working but when they are not working, it is also visible thanks to the badge. In this way, other companies start to know what it is and may be motivated for getting it.

Apart from the technological resources, it has been developped a badge, how can it help?